1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a high-voltage composite power cable having an optical fiber provided therein.
2. Prior Art
One conventional composite power cable as shown in FIG. 1 is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 56-32314. The power cable includes an electrical conductor 100, an inner layer 102 of a semiconductive material applied around the conductor 100, an insulation layer 104 applied around the inner layer 102 and an outer layer 106 of a semiconductive material applied around the insulation layer 104. The cable further includes a plurality of electrostatic-shielding metal wires 108 and a metal tube 110 each wound around the outer semiconductive layer 106, an optical fiber 112 housed in the tube 110 and a corrosion protective sheath 114 applied around the outer semiconductive layer 106 to encompass the metal wires 108 and the tube 110.
In such a conventional composite cable, however, since the metal tube 110 has little flexibility, it might be damaged when peeling it from the cable to connect the optical fiber 112 to a device or the like. In addition, even after the installation of the cable, the metal tube 110 might be torn off due to the unexpected movement of the cable, so that the optical fiber 112 received in the tube 110 has been susceptible to damage.